The present invention relates generally to a retail system, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for operating a self-service retail system in a department store.
A self-service checkout retail terminal is a system which is operated by a customer without the aid of a checkout clerk. What is meant herein by the term xe2x80x9ccustomerxe2x80x9d is a person who enters the retailer""s store, selects his or her items for purchase from a shopping area of the store, checks out his or items for purchase, tenders payment for his or her items for purchase, and then exits the store subsequent to tendering payment. Hence, as used herein, a customer is distinguished from a retail checkout clerk or other employee of the retailer in that a customer enters the retailer""s store for the sole purpose of purchasing items from the store. In regard to operation of a self-service checkout terminal, the customer scans individual items for purchase with a scanner or otherwise enters the item and then places the entered item into a shopping bag, if desired. The customer then pays for his or her purchase either at the self-service checkout terminal if so equipped, or at a central payment area such as a remote supervisor terminal or payment terminal which is staffed by a store employee. Thus, a self-service checkout terminal permits a customer to select, itemize, and in some cases pay for his or her items for purchase without the assistance of the retailer""s personnel.
However, self-service checkout terminal concepts have heretofore been designed as high speed, high volume, xe2x80x9ccentralizedxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cfront-endxe2x80x9d checkout terminals that are most applicable to food retailers such as grocery stores and supermarkets. Such heretofore self-service checkout terminals would be difficult, if not impossible, to implement in a department store where the checkout process is generally low speed, low volume, and xe2x80x9cdecentralizedxe2x80x9d.
For example, heretofore designed self-service checkout terminals provide security by use of a xe2x80x9cscan and bagxe2x80x9d concept in which every item purchased can be scanned and thereafter placed in a xe2x80x9cpost-scan bagging areaxe2x80x9d with one motion such that a security scale located within the post-scan area may be utilized to detect presence of each of the items thereby ensuring that only proper items (i.e. items that have been entered in the terminal) are placed in the post-scan bagging area.
In addition, self-service checkout terminal concepts have typically heretofore been designed to include devices for handling cash. For example, heretofore designed self-service checkout terminals typically include cash acceptors for accepting cash from a customer and cash dispensers for dispensing change or xe2x80x9ccash backxe2x80x9d. However, due to a larger average item price, cash is not the typical manner in which customers tender payment for items in a department store, and the providing of xe2x80x9ccash backxe2x80x9d is typically not a service offered by most department stores.
Moreover, in a grocery store, checkout transactions are typically performed in a centralized area. For example, in a grocery store, a number of checkout terminals are typically located at the front of the store near the doors leading into and out of the store. However, in a department store, items are typically purchased, bagged, and in some cases gift wrapped in the department in which the goods are located. In such a situation, the customer may be assisted by numerous checkout clerks in numerous departments in order to conduct numerous different checkout transactions during a single visit to the department store.
In addition, self-service checkout terminals which have heretofore been designed typically include a scanner having a product scale integrated or otherwise associated therewith. The product scale is provided to weigh items such as produce items which are generally sold according to the weight of the item. The integrated scanner is typically flush mounted to a counter or the like associated with the self-service checkout terminal such that grocery items can be passed over the scanner in order to have the bar code associated with the item read by the scanner. However, such a configuration is not needed in a department store. Firstly, a department store typically does not include items which are sold by weight thereby eliminating the need for a product scale. Moreover, items such as clothing items which are sold in a department store generally have a bar code or the like printed on a tag which is hanging from or otherwise secured to the item. Hence, such tagged items are typically scanned by a scanning motion in which the sales clerk grabs the tag and presents the tag to a stationary or hand-held scanner.
What is needed therefore is a self-service retail system which overcomes one or more of the above-mentioned drawbacks. What is particularly needed is a method and apparatus for operating a retail system which allows for the performance of a self-service checkout transaction in a department store.
In accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of operating a department store retail system in order to perform a purchase transaction. The department store retail system has a first self-service checkout terminal positioned in a first department of the department store and a supervisor terminal. The method includes the step of generating a first item-entered control signal if a customer enters a first item for purchase from the first department in the first self-service checkout terminal. The method also includes the step of determining if the customer has an additional item for purchase from the first department to enter in the first self-service checkout terminal in response to generation of the first item-entered control signal and generating a first no-additional-items control signal if the customer has no additional items from the first department to enter in the first self-service checkout terminal. The method further includes the step of suspending the purchase transaction of the customer at the first self-service checkout terminal in response to generation of the first no-additional-items control signal.
In accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of operating a department store retail system in order to perform a purchase transaction. The department store retail system has a first self-service checkout terminal positioned in a first department of the department store and a second self-service checkout terminal positioned in a second department of the department store. The method includes the step of generating a first item-entered control signal if a customer enters a first item for purchase from the first department in the first self-service checkout terminal. The method also includes the step of determining if the customer has an additional item for purchase from the first department to enter in the first self-service checkout terminal in response to generation of the first item-entered control signal and generating a first no-additional-items control signal if the customer has no additional items from the first department to enter in the first self-service checkout terminal. The method further includes the step of suspending the purchase transaction of the customer at the first self-service checkout terminal in response to generation of the first no-additional-items control signal. Moreover, the method includes the step of resuming the purchase transaction of the customer at the second self-service checkout terminal, wherein the resuming step is performed subsequent to the suspending step. Yet further, the method includes the step of generating a second item-entered control signal if the customer enters a second item for purchase from the second department in the second self-service checkout terminal.
In accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of operating a department store retail system in order to perform a purchase transaction. The department store retail system has a self-service checkout terminal positioned in a department of the department store and a supervisor terminal positioned in an exit area of the department store. The method includes the step of generating an item-entered control signal if a customer enters an item for purchase from the department in the self-service checkout terminal. The method also includes the step of determining if the customer has an additional item for purchase from the department to enter in the self-service checkout terminal in response to generation of the item-entered control signal and generating a no-additional-items control signal if the customer has no additional items from the department to enter in the self-service checkout terminal. The method further includes the step of operating the self-service checkout terminal so as to allow the customer to tender payment for the item for purchase in the department of the department store. Moreover, the method includes the step of operating the supervisor terminal so as to provide security to the purchase transaction of the customer in the exit area of the retail store.
In accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a department store retail system for performing a purchase transaction. The retail system includes a first self-service checkout terminal positioned in a first department of said department store. The first self-service checkout terminal is configured to (i) generate a first item-entered control signal if a customer enters a first item for purchase from said first department in said first self-service checkout terminal, (ii) determine if said customer has an additional item for purchase from said first department to enter in said first self-service checkout terminal in response to generation of said first item-entered control signal and generate a first no-additional-items control signal if said customer has no additional items from said first department to enter in said first self-service checkout terminal, and (iii) suspend said purchase transaction of said customer in response to generation of said first no-additional-items control signal. The retail system also includes a second self-service checkout terminal positioned in a second department of said department store. The second self-service checkout terminal is electrically coupled to said first self-service checkout terminal. The second self-service checkout-terminal is configured to (i) resume said purchase transaction of said customer at said second self-service checkout terminal and (ii) generate a second item-entered control signal if said customer enters a second item for purchase from said second department in said second self-service checkout terminal.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and useful method and apparatus of operating a self-service retail system.
It is moreover an object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for operating a self-service retail system.
It is yet further an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for operating a retail system which allows for the performance of a self-service checkout transaction in a department store.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the attached drawings.